


Strong Before the Storm

by WingedWarrior



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Memories, Small Reference to ACWNR, Storms, Thunderstorms, canonverse, respect, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-24
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6951442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingedWarrior/pseuds/WingedWarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since the day he tumbled off his horse, a flash of lightning, a crash of thunder, and a titan hunched before him. Levi had despised storms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strong Before the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> I really loved the idea of Levi hating storms, sooo I decided to write a little thing. I hope you enjoy! This is my first time writing for the AoT/SnK fandom so I hope I portrayed Levi and Eren’s personality decently.

He was up in his office working on paperwork when the first sound of thunder clapped above the castle. It had jolted him which resulted in a black streak of ink from one edge of the paper to the other. "Shit." He hissed staring at the ruined paper. Standing up, he went over to the curtains closing them abruptly, blocking out any light. Well, darkness that entered his office. He had known there was a storm coming this way, but the thought hadn't reached him until the first gloomy cloud rolled over the wall. Levi sat back down, debating on whether or not he wanted to move to his quarters and ignore the rest of the paperwork until tomorrow when a knock sounded at his door. "Come in."

Eren opened the door closing it quietly behind him. "Captain?"

"What?" Levi eyed the boy standing there awkwardly.

"I brought your afternoon tea."

"Just set it on my desk." He waved Eren off.

They stayed in silence, the only sound were raindrops cascading down the gutters of the castle.

"Careful of the paperwork you shitty brat." Levi growled as Eren was just about to set it on top of a stack.

"Sorry Captain..." He muttered.

Levi huffed. "Don't they teach you guys house etiquette?"

"No Captain. Only you."

Levi gave him a glare, which Eren daringly challenged without flinching.

"Get out of here I have more work to do and you not up here to make me babysit your ass." The raven haired man commanded.

With little more than a roll of his eyes Eren moved towards the door turning around only to say goodbye when a particularly loud crash of thunder and a strike of lightning hit causing the room to illuminate once then go dark again. Levi had jumped up at that moment standing stiff and tense as if a Titan were going to break through the castle stone.

Teal eyes met grey, and for the first time in a long time Eren saw an emotion Levi had very rarely expressed behind his façade of nothingness. Fear.

"Levi are you okay?" Eren asked cautiously.

"Get out." The older man ground his teeth turning his head away. He hadn't wanted Eren to see a small weakness in him. Only Hanji and Erwin knew, and that was how he wanted to keep it.

The brunette frowned crossing his arms. "No."

"Don't be such a stubborn shit and leave." Levi had moved over to the window his back fully turned away from the boy.

"No." Eren repeated.

“This is an order Jaeger.” Levi hissed whipping around, walking towards the boy and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

He shook his head determination filling his eyes.

**Bang**

Eren stumbled backwards, now staring at the corporal in shock. The shorter man was hugging himself backing slowly away from him. Eren didn’t know what to do but he inched his way forward towards Levi with an outreached hand. “It’s okay.”

The raven shook his head eyes shut tight as if he were trying to forget something that traumatized him. He was biting down on his lip as he continued to back into the corner of his room.

It felt odd to see Humanity's Strongest in such a frail state. It terrified Eren. Levi was seen as a man who could stare death straight in the face and send it running for the hills.

The brunette wanted to comfort him but how, Eren was clueless. The only thing he could think of was what his mother used to do.

He wrapped his arms around Levi embracing the smaller male. Oh he would get a beating for this later. Eren was waiting for Levi to pull away but it never happened. Instead he buried his head further into Erens’ shirt. They were in an awkward position, Levi was backed into the corner with Eren hugging him, his arm at a weird angle.

Another boom sounded in the sky. Eren felt Levi shake, a long slow breath ran through his body as he started to relax into Eren’s touch. Eren wondered what was going in the corporals mind. Something must have happened… Either a past experience, or he was just oddly scared of storms. He poured everything into his hug for he knew with Levi, actions spoke louder than words. He wanted to communicate to the older male that he meant more to Eren than he knew. His respect for his higher ranking officer, might had turned into more than just respect.

He had thrown small hints around carelessly with Levi, hoping that one day the corporal would catch on.

They stood there quietly within the comfort of each other's arms until the rain subsided.

Eren moved away to give his corporal some space worried about the consequence that were sure to come at any moment.. He braced himself ready for Levi to land a blow on the back of his head but nothing came.

Eren opened one eye to stare at him, Levi stood there emotionless, his steel eyes staring blankly at the wall.

“Levi?...” Eren asked quietly.

Something must have snapped in him. A look of fury was upon the ravens’ face. He didn’t move but his glare was deathly and this time Eren did mentally shrink at his higher ranking officer.

“Get out.”

Eren turned on heel, dashing back to the dungeons where he thought he might find sanctuary. He fell onto his bed burying his head into the pillow. Hot tears filled his eyes. Wether he was angry or sad, he didn't know himself. He just new Levi would never say a direct thank you, but a small re-asurrence of gratefulness would’ve been nice.

-X-

Levi ran his hands through his bangs letting out a shaky breath. Oh shit he fucked up. That brat had seen him in one of the weakest moments and now he had hurt Erens’ feelings. He could see it in the way the boy had fled his room, a look of fear, anger, and grief.

In truth he was quite appreciative of Eren’s comfort, it had helped him in more ways than he had thought possible. He wasn’t used to being touched or shown empathy. Erwin and Hanji had given him sympathy when he had told them of his misfortune but to let a brat see the side he had locked up years ago. Untouched scars that had reopened, it scared him to no end.

Tumbling off his horse, a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder. A titan hunched before him, his best friends dead gazes. Rage had flooded over his agony, creating an unbreakable shield to mask his pain. No one was ever supposed to find the key to the chains he had locked around his heart; and yet… Eren did. He had known about the brats hinting, how Eren would throw a compliment occasionally, and then get flushed passing his comment off as a joke. It was kind of cute.

-X-

He had finally calmed down enough to appear at dinner. He sat down across from Levi, not looking him in the eye. He kept his hands fisted in balls while he waited for dinner to pass.

“Eren you didn’t eat much.” Hanji commented.

He shrugged. “I’m not that hungry…”

“You have to keep your strength up brat.” Levi said taking a sip of his tea.

Eren froze slightly. He wasn’t prepared to hear Levi’s voice. It wasn’t soft yet it wasn’t the harsh way he had spoke in his office.

“Can I be excused?”

Without waiting for a response he stood up walking out of the room. He thought he would be able to tolerate Levi, but his feelings were getting the better of him. Eren chewed on his bottom lip lightly as he continued down the corridors to the dungeon. He was stopped when a hand reached out grabbing him by his shoulder whipping his around.

Eren turned his head to the side his eyes shut tight. “Don’t…”

“Where do you think your going without waiting for a response?”

He couldn’t do this. Levi was mad at him again. He was tired of Levi continuously pushing away his small hints of affection. “Please.” He pleaded.

The raven let out a sigh. “Earlier, wasn’t the best time for me.”

Eren opened his eyes chancing a glance at the him. Levi’s eyes had softened, they didn’t look mad at all. Not like the harsh grey that boiled into his skin sending sharp needles into his body.  “I’m sorry sir, I just thought… I was impulsive.”

“Glad you finally realized that.” Levi rolled his eyes.

Eren frowned. “Then why did you stop me if you’re just going to criticize me?”

“I came here to tell you to come finish dinner and that you’re a little shit that doesn’t know when to obey a high ranking officer that gives a command.” He paused for a moment. “And the difference between our reasoning and yours varies with experience. Going against one’s command is okay, but you have to know your own limitations. You have your own choice in what you want to do with your actions. So what you did in my office, don’t regret it.”

Levi had backed away starring the brunette straight in the eyes. Eren was speechless in admiration.

“So are you going to continue staring at me?” Levi asked shifting his weight to his other foot slightly amused.

Eren shook his head, a goofy grin appearing on his face. “So I’m guessing that’s the closest I’m getting to a ‘sorry’?”

“Don’t push your luck brat.” Levi frowned. “But… I guess I could give you this.” It happened so fast Eren didn’t have time to process the action. His cheeks turned a bright red.

Levi had gotten on his tip toes to kiss the boy’s forehead. The raven sent Eren a small smirk. “Yes, I return your unsaid feelings and blah blah blah. So are you going to go back to finish your dinner or continue looking constipated?”

“Dinner.” Eren stated. He followed Levi back up the stairs towards the dining hall. He was still highly curious as to why Levi had such a strong reaction to the storm but he knew the grey eyed soldier would tell him when he was ready. The raven had just opened up to him and he wasn’t going to push Levi into expressing what he wasn’t ready for himself. “ _You have to know your own limitations”_ He would just start to learn more about the corporal as it came. Even if it took a life time, he would respect Levi’s reasons and never regret his choice.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments/Feedback are very appreciated! Sorry if the relationship is a bit off. I don't really see Levi and Eren being terribly mushy/cuddly in the canonverse (if they had one) simply due to their personalities. I view their romantic relationship platonically as if they have regular interaction with each other but they just treat each other with the highest of respect, with maybe a few kisses here and there :) There is a tiny part where I referenced what Levi's told Eren in the forest when he had the choice of turning into a titan or following the guidance of his comrades.


End file.
